Atypical antipsychotics:
New drugs, new challenges

CURRENT DRUG THERAPY

Compared with the first-generation, or “typical”
antipsychotic drugs, second-generation or atypical
antipsychotics cause fewer extrapyramidal (motor)
problems, but they pose new challenges, as they often
contribute to metabolic disturbances such as weight gain,
hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes
mellitus. Patients taking atypical antipsychotics should be
monitored for glycemic and cardiovascular risk factors
and should receive treatment for such problems as
they
arise.
■ KEY POINTS
The atypical antipsychotics available in the United States
are clozapine (Clozaril), olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone
(Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), ziprasidone (Geodon),
aripiprazole (Abilify), and paliperidone (Invega).
Although extrapyramidal effects are much less common
with atypical antipsychotics, they can sometimes still
occur, especially if very high doses are used.
Patients with schizophrenia are predisposed to diabetes.
Use of atypical antipsychotics heightens this risk.
Of the atypical antipsychotics, clozapine and olanzapine
cause the most weight gain and pose the highest risk of
metabolic disturbances.

see link below :

http://www.ccjm.org/PDFFILES/Mathews8_07.pdf